Is Your Android Phone Stale?

How can a phone be stale and how can you tell? It’s not like bread where you can squeeze it and tell it’s stale because it’s hard and know it’s not good to eat.

A phone can be stale when its operating system is out of date. The operating system is the program on your phone that makes everything else run. It’s what you use to install and navigate to all the apps you use. Every time you look at your phone and its icons, you’re looking at the operating system.

An operating system can have security bugs

Just like any app or program, an operating system can have security bugs. And companies that make operating systems give updates to fix these bugs, just like companies that sell apps and programs do.

The problem is that not all Android phones get the latest updates. In most cases, your wireless carrier (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile) or your phone maker (Motorola, HTC, Samsung) decide what updates they want people on their phones and networks to have. And so they often don’t make updates available. For instance, my two-year-old Android phone hasn’t gotten an update in nearly two years.

What can you do about this? First, you can check to see if your phone is out of date or not. In your phone’s settings, look for something that says “About Phone.” Different Android phones have different layouts, so you might have to look around for it. Once you find it, look for something that says “Android version.” The current version is 4.2 – so if you have something earlier than that, it may be stale (mine is 2.3.5…very old).

If your phone is stale, the best thing you can do is to make sure you run a security program on it. That won’t fix the holes but can help protect you if someone tries to take advantage of them.

How not to end up with a stale phone?

The other thing you can do is to try and not end up on a phone that will be stale in the first place. Android phones have a real problem with going stale because the makers and carriers don’t support them very well. Apple’s iPhone has a better record of keeping up-to-date.

If you like Android, you can get a Nexus phone from Google directly: they keep the Nexus up-to-date a lot like Apple does with the iPhone. You can also look at Windows Phones and BlackBerry phones: they also do a good job of keeping up-to-date. If you want another Android phone, though, you may have to accept that you’ll end up with one that’ll go stale at some point. If you get one, make sure you get a security program for it.

Latest version of Android is 4.3, still named Jelly Bean though. To keep a fresh phone, would recommend getting a Nexus phone from Google. Latest version is the Nexus 4, which is GSM only and gets updates directly from Google, not the carriers. I have the Galaxy Nexus which came before the Nexus 4, but I have Verizon which means Verizon has to tinker with the operating system before it gets to my phone. And that means delays on Googles updates, which is most likely why there are no Nexus 4 CDMA variants.

Kathy Helbling Donahue

So how do I get the current 4.2 version with the Android that I have now? It says the version is 2.3.4. Don’t see how I make it “fresh”..not stale! Please help!

Martin

If your phone is still on Android 2.3.4 its likely you have a phone that can’t be upgraded to ICS (4.0) or JB (4.1, 4.2, or 4.3).

Jay Turberville

You can’t. The whole “stale” thing is misleading. When you check your version, check also the last time it was updated.

Dan

Apple controls the device and operating system, android does not make manufacturers and carriers update all devices to the latest OS.

Even apple will stop offering OS updates on older devices. Simply put, some hardware can not support the latest operating system. This is no different than trying to run windows 7 on a P.C. that was built for windows vista. Some hardware will only support android versions of 2.x.x while others will support the latest versions for a while.

Roger

Thanks for the informative article. My phone’s version is 4.1.2 Is this an old version? Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Martin

Android 4.1.2 isnt “old”. Most android phones are on 4.0.2 (22.5%) or 4.1.2 (34.0%). Some, around 6% are on 4.2, The next update 4.3 is coming out really soon, in fact the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 are already on it, again, because Google updates their products the same way apple does, in a much quicker fashion. Ultimately it comes down to your manufacturer and whether or not they push an update out for your phone.

HTC for example dropped support of the HTC One S after only 13 months (15 months in some countries). They announced they were going to put out security patches but no updates past Android 4.1.2 and Sense 4+. 13 Months. The typical lifecycle for Samsung support is about 18 months.

Jim G

Before updating, Google requires you to grant them unlimited privileges to do anything they want to your phone, including deleting files from your SD card, uploading any of your files, reading any of your files, etc. I don’t have anything to hide, but why do they get unlimited privileges to YOUR information. I don’t update very often because of their update policies. My next phone will not be an Android phone.

VisitorOnly

On articles like this, we need full disclosure of any ties (of authors, Microsoft, Trend Micro, etc.) to particular services like Google, Nexus, etc. I also was dismayed, not to mention distrustful, of Google’s attempts to gather so much information in order to use their services and related devices. Telling me to buy a Nexus phone because it gets updates directly from Google is NOT reassuring. Internet-related services all need to build trust with consumers, not manipulate them, and should divulge connections within the industry up-front. It is called transparency. Thanks.

Bill Reed

Just spoke with the tech folks at my carrier (ATT). Motorola phones use “System Version” to designate the operating system. Even if your Android Version is shown as 2.3.whatever, as long as your phone shows a “System Version” of 4.5.145 or higher, it is fully up-to-date.

Svante Rodegard

I am one of those … I got an early Google Android one phone … and had to giv that one up for more reasons than just the OS. No support for 3G only 2.5 kind of. Even though it was an “open” version it did not work besides on a WiFi network or as just a phone.
No 2.5 in Sweden only 3 and 4 … but the biggest problem was the impossible screen.
I worked fine inside or in a dark room but not outside … to much glare and reflection.
But I did really like the size and basic format of that One version … too bad all the other parts did not match that. The upgrade of the OS, the 3G support, the bad screen …
Did I forget something … but there are some great free Android Apps that I miss on my new iPhone now a iPhone5 and waiting for the new version.
BTW, the Sony Xperia phone and coming tablet is really great … I have heard from friends and collegues in Sweden.

Edwin Siegel

I can’t help but notice the article didn’t mention actually checking for an OS update via the settings menu (usually under “about phone”, or a similar heading), which if there was an update would prompt you for install upon selecting the “check for updates” option. That would be the first step to remedying the problem before installing any third party software.

Cheers,
Edwin

Jay Turberville

Of course it didn’t mention that. The whole point seems to have been to get people concerned about needing to install 3rd party security software.

Barry

My phone, which I purchased early July 2013, has version 4.1.2. How stale is the version??